9th March, 2017
A 19-year-old tricyclist , Ayomide Yakubu, was on Thursday brought to an Ikeja Magistrate’s’ Court in Lagos for allegedly beating up a police officer and tearing his uniform.
Yakubu, of no fixed address, is being tried for a breach of the peace and assault.
According to the prosecutor, Insp. Clement Okuoimose, the accused committed the offences on Feb. 25 at the Ilupeju branch office of Fidelity Bank, Lagos.
He said that the accused assaulted Sgt. Gwong Solomon, a police officer, while he was performing his lawful duty.
“The accused beat up the complainant at his duty post,” he said.
Okuoimose said that this happened when the complainant intervened in a fight between Yakubu and a security guard employed by another bank.
“The accused parked his tricycle in front of a bank; when the security guard attached to the bank asked him to move away, he refused and started fighting him.
“The accused transferred his aggression on to the complainant when he tried to stop him from further beating the guard.
“He beat him and damaged his Nigerian Police Force uniform,” he said.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 166 and 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 172 prescribes four years’ imprisonment as penalty for assault.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Ekogbule adjourned the case to March 22 for mention.